VINCENNES — Eighth District Congressman Brad Ellsworth, D-Evansville, said his job is not fun during a kickoff rally Tuesday for his reelection campaign.

The fun, Ellsworth said, comes from meeting constituents.

“It is not the most fun job in the world,” Ellsworth said. “It is an honor to serve and a dream come true.”

The rally held near the George Rogers Clark Memorial was the third of four events on his kickoff tour Tuesday. Ellsworth, who will face Republican Greg Goode in November, said over the course of the campaign, he hopes to continue listening.

“I’m willing to talk with you and listen to the issues that concern you,” Ellsworth said. “And we will take that back to Washington (D.C.) because they’re your struggles and your concerns.”

Ellsworth mentioned he has held about 400 meetings with constituents in the district.

The freshman congressman highlighted his record, telling the crowd of about 30 that his work on veterans’ benefits, budget rules and holding federal contractors responsible for taxes owed has worked on the national level.

“You know, they call us the ‘Do-nothing Congress,’ but that’s not accurate,” Ellsworth said. “The things that we’re doing, I’m very proud of.”

Ellsworth said that part of a congressman’s job is to help projects back home. He mentioned programs for continuing education at Vincennes, Rose-Hulman and Indiana State universities and the University of Southern Indiana, as well as infrastructure.

“We work with commissioners, we work with mayors and we work with universities to do the right thing and bring good, valid projects back to our district,” Ellsworth said. “You probably won’t see me ask for a ‘Bridge to Nowhere,’ that’s not what I consider good and valid spending.”

After the rally, the congressman said he wanted to continue his work on causes he talked about two years ago on illegal immigration, Iraq, education, health care and energy.

“A lot of those issues I talked about are the same,” Ellsworth said. “I did a commercial a year ago in front of gas pumps and I can’t remember what the price was. I believe it was pushing $2 then and people said it was outrageous.”

Also, working with legislators from both sides of the aisle.

“These issues we are facing are tough,” Ellsworth said. “The energy problems, our economy, it’s going to take all of us working together. Some people don’t want to hear that.”

The electorate might see a little more of Ellsworth than Goode in the campaign. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Ellsworth had $715,526 on hand by April 16. Goode, who has been in the area at parades and fairs, had $43,480 on hand.